At the World Sauna Forum, we spoke with Peter Ruokonen, CEO of Cariitti, about innovation, international growth, and the future of sauna and wellness lighting. Founded in Finland and known for its expertise in fiber optic and LED solutions, Cariitti continues to shape premium lighting experiences worldwide while staying committed to Finnish manufacturing and quality.
To begin, could you tell us how Cariitti was founded and what the original idea behind the company was?
Cariitti was founded by my father in 1998, almost 30 years ago.
From the very beginning, the company focused on sauna, spa, and wellness lighting using fiber optic technology.
Our core values have always been high quality and maintaining Finnish-origin products.
Why does Cariitti continue to invest in both fiber optic and LED technologies?
Both technologies have their own advantages. Compared with LEDs, fiber optics offer unique benefits that no other lighting technology provides—for example, exceptional heat resistance. There is simply no comparable solution for extremely hot environments like saunas.
At the same time, LEDs offer capabilities that can outperform fiber optics in other applications. The key is understanding which technology best fits each specific objective.
What is the biggest technical challenge when designing lighting systems for sauna environments exceeding 100°C?
Today, most lighting components include electronics, and electronic components generally are not designed for extreme heat.
Once temperatures exceed around 70°C, several technical challenges arise. Designing products for these environments requires careful component selection and deep expertise to ensure long-term reliability.
What role do smart home integration and digital control systems play in your product development strategy?
Digital control is one of the most important developments in the lighting industry. Many of the biggest innovations in recent years have happened in this area.
We work with multiple suppliers to offer complete systems compatible with different control protocols—whether DALI, DMX, KNX, or others—allowing us to provide flexible solutions for different customer needs.
How important is collaboration with architects and interior designers?
It’s extremely important. Especially in Finland, we work closely with architects and interior designers.
We regularly host events in our factory and showroom to help professionals gain deeper knowledge about our products and how to integrate lighting into their projects.
Collaboration is a key part of our business.
Do you see differences between Finnish customers and international customers?
Yes, definitely.
We illuminate more than 10,000 saunas every year, and in Finland sauna culture is deeply established. Customers already understand the fundamentals.
Internationally, however, entering new markets often means starting from the beginning and educating customers about sauna lighting. There are also technical differences between regions—for example, electrical systems in Europe, the US, and Japan differ significantly.
Which international markets currently show the strongest growth? What are the main challenges when expanding a Finnish brand globally?
At the moment, the United States, Canada, and Japan are performing especially well. Overall, our export business has grown steadily in recent years, but the strongest growth is coming from the US and Japan.
Every market has its own expectations and way of doing business. While we want to maintain Finnish manufacturing and identity, we also need to understand local requirements and sometimes adapt products or communication to fit specific markets. A product that performs well in one country does not automatically succeed everywhere.
Why does Cariitti continue manufacturing in Finland despite higher production costs?
We have invested heavily in automation. Processes such as drilling, screwing, gluing, and stocking are supported by robots and cobots.
Human expertise remains essential, but labor cost itself is not the deciding factor. Keeping design and manufacturing close together gives us complete understanding and control over what we deliver. We regularly calculate our domestic manufacturing ratio to maintain our Made in Finland certification. The last result showed 72.4% Finnish origin.
How do you evaluate sustainability?
Our approach focuses on durability and responsible operations. We recycle production waste, use electricity generated from wind power, and operate electric company vehicles.
Product longevity is also a major factor. Customers regularly contact us saying they purchased a fiber optic system 20 years ago and want to reinstall it in a renovated sauna—which is absolutely possible.
Are there upcoming innovations or projects you can share?
At the World Sauna Forum, we are presenting Taive Outdoor.
It is a fully modular sauna concept where the structural frame remains fixed, while customers can customize bench layouts, wall elements, windows, and lighting solutions. Additional features such as star sky lighting allow even greater personalization.
Where would you like to see Cariitti in 2030?
I hope we will have established a strong position in both the US and Japanese markets. I would also like to see stronger growth in Europe. Markets such as Germany are highly competitive, but I believe there is still significant opportunity ahead.
Which project are you personally most proud of?
One project that immediately comes to mind is Lapland Hotels Bulevardi in Helsinki. The hotel has around 180 rooms, and approximately 160 of them include private saunas. We supplied lighting for all those sauna spaces as well as the bathrooms and parts of the guest rooms.
Another memorable project was supplying sauna and starry sky lighting systems for Waldorf Astoria. We have also completed major cruise ship projects involving hundreds of fiber harnesses and projectors.
How was the World Sauna Forum for you?
Events like this create excellent networking opportunities. Especially through the sauna experience itself, conversations happen naturally. I’ve spent several hours each day meeting both new and existing customers.
Business is not only about price lists and catalogs—it’s about relationships, trust, and creating long-term value together.
